ACTION Apartment Association

Is homelessness on the rise in Santa Monica?

01/30/2023 11:44 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The goal of the point-in-time count is to get a snapshot of the homeless population. By doing it across the region at the same time, officials hope to make it less likely to double count or miss individuals who move around. The number of people in shelters is also calculated on the same night.

State Usurping Key Powers From Cities

01/30/2023 10:34 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

For over the last three years, state government has gradually usurped almost full jurisdiction over one of the key powers always previously held by locally elected officials: The ability to decide what their city or county will look like and feel like over the next few decades.

SMa.r.t Column: Widespread Issues Put Santa Monica in Danger

01/30/2023 10:20 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Following are 5 issues which, along with homelessness and crime, should take priority over all else in our city’s immediate future:

1. Paramount is our city’s economic uncertainty! Historically, our city has been wealthy and looked upon with esteem. But sadly, this may significantly change after letting a volunteer with the city’s parks program – a pedophile – run loose for 20 years with the city being sued by the families involved! Santa Monica is in the process of paying $100 million dollars to date for the lawsuits already settled and is staring directly at another $100-200 million for the remaining lawsuits.

Phil Brock Appointed to Serve on National League of Cities' Public Safety and Crime Prevention Committee

01/27/2023 8:59 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Councilmember Brock was elected to a one-year term and will provide strategic direction and guidance for NLC's federal advocacy agenda and policy priorities on public safety issues, including law enforcement, municipal fire prevention, natural disaster preparedness, and homeland security.

DTSM Inc Needs to Be Disbanded Immediately, Say Some Business Owners

01/26/2023 9:20 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Citing a budget that is heavy on salaries and failed programs, incompetent leadership, and the economically and physically depressed state of the Third Street Promenade, property owner and business leader John Alle is calling for the disbanding of Downtown Santa Monica Inc (DTSM).

DTSM is a "private" non-profit organization that is supposed to work with the City government to manage services and operations in downtown Santa Monica.

White House using one-size-fits-all plan to protect renters

01/26/2023 9:18 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In addition to limits on "egregious" rate hikes, the White House addressed several actions it plans to take in its commitment to renters. The actions include collecting information on how tenants are screened, updating guidelines on anti-competitive information sharing among landlords and providing legal help to tenants who are evicted.

Annual count of homeless residents begins

01/26/2023 9:13 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Up to 6,000 clipboard-toting volunteers with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority fanned out for the effort’s main component, the unsheltered street tally. Santa Monica’s count began Wednesday.

"The City will be defending the Measure GS challenge"

01/26/2023 9:01 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Of the ten items on the closed session agenda, City Attorney Doug Sloan only reported on the lawsuit filed against Measure GS, the transfer tax hike approved by voters in November.

Council Approves Process to Determine the Future of Santa Monica Airport

01/26/2023 9:00 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

"This is the very beginning of a community process to reimagine the Airport site, which accounts for an unprecedented 4.3% of the City’s land,” said Mayor Gleam Davis. “We know this is an asset Santa Monicans care about and we want to work together to set goals and priorities to meet diverse community needs for the next several generations.”

Biden rolls out 'Renters Bill of Rights' as lawmakers push for federal rent control laws

01/25/2023 2:55 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The president is directing the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to examine limits on rent increases for future investments and actions promoting renter protections. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have been tapped to root out practices that unfairly prevent applicants and tenants from accessing or staying in housing.